Oil impeller for governors



April 21, 1931. H. F. SCHMIDT OIL IMPELLER FOR GOVERNORS Filed Oct. 11,1927 INVENTOR H Efichmi rm H 5 3 3 on E ======I h W 1-1 u WNW V 4 W Wvmw s 7/ 1 X /W A R \M I i WW Ill 4 a a a A .N m

m 3 My WITNESS vs M ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 21, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE HENRY F. SCHMIDT, OF LANSDOWNE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TWESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC 8c MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

OIL IMPELLER FOB, GOVERNORS Application filed October 11, 1927. SerialNo. 225,580.

My invention relates to fluid impellers, and more particularly toimpellers for fluid pressure governing systems, and it has for anobject, to widen the scope of application of apparatus of thischaracter.

The pressure created by impellers, of the type described, is a functionof their speed of rotation and of their respective diameters, so that,when the pressure-volume character- 10 istics of an impeller are known,the pressure corresponding to different speeds may be readilydetermined. To change the pressure produced, it is necessary to changethe dimensions of the impelling surfaces.

It may occur that thepressure of an impeller must be changed in order tomeet new operating requirements, and although this may involve no morethan changing the length of the vanes, the desired change cannot beeffected without interrupting the operation, and removing the impeller.Such delays, and the expense incidental thereto, can

be avoided by providing an impeller which is capable of meetingdifferent operating conditions.

More particularly, therefore, an object of my invention is to provide animpeller which shall have a variable pressure creating ability, andwhich shall embody means for changing 3 its head without any appreciableinterruption to its operation.

Apparatus embodying the featuresof my invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view showing a fluid impeller in longitudinal section and afluid pressure governor in elevation; and

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken along the broken line II-II of Fig.1.

According to my invention, an impeller is provided with a plurality ofsets of impelling surfaces, or vanes, and means are provided forselectively admitting the fluid media, which may be either a liquid or agas, to the vanes having the desired characteristics. Preferably, theimpeller is in the form of a hollow cone in which holes are bored incircumferential rows, so that one, or more, of the rows may provide aset of impelling surfaces. A sleeve is movably mounted within the coneand it is provided with a circumferential series of openings whichcorrespond with any one set of the holes which provide the impellingsurfaces in the cone. By adjusting the sleeve with respect to the cone,the actuating media can be admitted to any of the various sets ofimpelling surfaces, and the desired pressure thus obtained.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of myinvention, 1 show a fluid impeller, at 10, enclosed in a housing 11. Inthe form shown, the impeller proper comprises a frusto-conical portion12, which is provided with a plurality of groups of circumferentiallyarranged and transverselyextending holes 13. I

The frusto-conical portion 12 is preferably made integral with the shaft14, and the frusto-conical portion is bored to provide anaxially-extending, cylindrical recess 16, the recess extending beyondthe base of the frustum and into the shaft, as shown. it will thus beseen that the holes 13 provide radial impelling vanes to which fluid maybe admitted through the cylindrical recess 16. In order to provide forselectively controlling the diameter of the impeller, and consequentlythe pressure of the fluid delivered thereby, I insert the sleeve 17 intothe cylindrical recess 16, and provide the sleeve with a series ofcircumferentially arranged openings, such as the bored holes 18, whichcorrespond in size with the radial holes 13 of the impeller. The holes18 may be made large enough to admit fluid to two or more of thecircumferential groups of the radial holes, or to only one group asshown, depending on the operating requirements. 7

Furthermore, the circumferential groups of holes 13 may be arranged tohave funda mentally difierent characteristics. For example, onecircumferential group may have radial holes, so as to provide radialvanes, while another group may have curved holes, or passages, toprovide either forwardly or backwardly tipped vanes and various degreesof curvature may be embodied in different circumferential groups ofvanes.

In order to provide for manually adjusting the sleeve 17 and for holdingit in the various adjusted positions, I mount one or more set screws 19in the boss 2i, of the housing, through which the sleeve is inserted.Obviously, however, any suitable holding arrangement, other than the setscrews 19, may be employed. I also provide suitable packing 22 betweenthe boss 21 and the sleeve 17, and between the boss 23, which receivesthe shaft 14, and the shaft.

A connection 24 is provided at some con venient point on the housing,but preferably substantially midway of the frustum 12 of the impeller,so that the impelled fluid may pass from the chamber 26 to any otherpart of the system, as for example, to a fluid governor. A suitablenumber of longitudinally-extending vanes 27 are secured to the innerwalls of the chamber 26 and are arranged contiguous to the taperedsurface o t the impeller for the purpose of preventing the whirlingmotion of the fluid in the chamber 26. In this manner, it is ensuredthat the pressure of the fluid passing through the connection 21 will bethe pressure created by the particular set of impelling vanes 13 whichis in commmunication with the openings 18 of the sleeve 17 and that thispressure will not be affected by any whirl due to the rotation of theother impelling vanes.

The shaft 14 may also be bored as indicated at 28, to provide an axialpassage for admitting fluid to the inlet of the impeller. Or, ifdesired, this passage may be omitted, and the fluid may be admittedthrough the sleeve 17, or the fluid may be admitted through both thepassage 28 and through the sleeve 17.

In the operation of the impeller, it is merely necessary to loosen thescrew 19 to adjust the sleeve to the desired position with respect tothe impeller, and, this being effected, the screw 19 is tightened andthe device is ready for operation.

The fluid pressure governor 20 may be of any type known in the art whichis responsive to variable fluid pressure. For example, it may be of thetype and construction shown in my Patent No. 1,533,767, issued April 14,1925.

The advantage of this form of impeller in connection with a fluidpressure governor is wide variation of governing speeds without changeof adjustment of the governor.

The governor 20 is controlled by a fluid pressure which is substantiallyconstant but varies within narrow limits to effect operation of thegovernor, and when no change in adjustment is made, the fluid pressureeffecting a given position of the governor is necessarily always thesame. By moving the sleeve 17 to admit fluid to the shorter holes 13,greater speed of the shaft 14 is required to develop the fluid pressurewhich operates the governor 20; in this way higher governing speeds areobtained. As the same speed variation effects the same variation influid pressure at any governing speed, it is apparcut that the sameoperation of the governor is obtained over a wide range of governingspeeds.

I have also provided a remote control system for adjusting the sleeve 17to the desired positions. This remote control system comprises areversible motor, such as the electric motor 29, the shaft 30, of themotor being extended and threaded for engagement with the internallythreaded, split sleeve 31. The latter carries the fork 32, which isadapted to ride in the groove 33 provided by the spaced collars 34 onthe sleeve 17. In the drawing, one of the prongs of the fork is shown asbeing broken away for purposes of illustration.

The motor 28 is controlled by a reversin switch 36, which may be locatedat any point remote from the motor, and hence, by manipulating the:'-:\\'itch 2-36, it is possible to operate the motor to move the sleeve31 in either direction and thus, to efl'ect an adjustment of the sleeve17 from a distant station. Since the purpose of this adjustment isprimarily to obtain a certain pressure in the pipe 24, the extent of theadjustment required can be determined by placing any suitable indicatingapparatus, such for example as a pressure gauge (not shown), incommunication with the pipe 24. It will also be understood that, whenthe remote control system is used, the set screw, or screws 19, areloosened. On the other hand, when the adjustment is to be made manuallyby means of the set screw 19, the sleeve 31 may be disconnected from thesleeve 17 It will thus be seen that I have provided a simple, and yetrugged and efficient impeller having a variable pressure-creatingability, and that I have also provided means for controlling my impellerfrom a distant station. These features make it possible to use a deviceof this class for producing different pressures intermittently, withoutdismantling, or in any way interfering with the operation of the device,and hence, considerably increase the scope of its field of application.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall beplaced thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specificallyset forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. A fluid impeller comprising an axially tapered rotorhaving a central inlet, means providing a plurality of transversepassages through the rotor arranged in circumferential groups, and meansfor selectively controlling the admission of media to circumferentialgroups of the respective passages.

2. A fluid impeller comprising an axially tapered rotor having a centralinlet, means providing a plurality of longitudinally spaced, radialpassages through the rotor, and means for selectively controlling theadmission of media to certain of the respective passages.

3. The combination with a tapered impeller having a central inlet andtransversely-extendingimpellingpassagestherein, of a sleeve valve foradmitting fluid to some of saidtransversely-extending passages, areversible motor, and means for adjusting said valve by actuating themotor.

4. The combination with an impeller having transversely extendingimpelling passages and a central inlet, and a sleeve extending Withinthe inlet and having openings therein for selectively admitting fluid tosome of said transversely extending passages and for shutting oifadmission of fluid to other of said passages, of a reversible motor andmeans for converting rotary motion of said motor into rectilinear motionand for imparting such rectilinear motion to the sleeve, whereby saidsleeve may be adjusted by actuating said motor.

5. The combination with an impeller having a plurality of sets ofimpelling surfaces and a central inlet, and a reciprocable valve memberfor controlling the admission offluid to the respective sets of saidimpelling surfaces, of a reversible motor, a shaft adapted to beoperated from said motor, and a member threaded on said shaft and ininterlocking engagement with said valve member, whereby the valve membermay be adjusted with respect to said impeller by actuating said motor.

6. In a device of the type described, the

combination of an impeller having a plurality of sets of impellingsurfaces and a central inlet, and a reciprocable valve member forcontrolling the admission of fluid to the re spective sets of impellingsurfaces.

7. The combination with an impeller having a plurality of sets ofimpelling surfaces, each of said sets of impelling surfaces beingadapted to develop different pressures, of means for admitting fluid toany of said sets and excluding fluid from the other, or others of saidsets of impelling surfaces.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscrijoed my name this fifth dayof October,

HENRY F. SCHMIDT.

